Breaking the Plastic Habit in ASEAN: Behaviour-Centred Interventions for Lasting Plastic Reduction

Plastic pollution is a growing challenge in Southeast Asia, where rapid urbanisation and rising consumption are driving sharp increases in plastic waste. While ASEAN countries are introducing policies and awareness campaigns to address the issue, these measures alone are often insufficient to shift deeply embedded consumption habits.

To help bridge this gap, the Breaking the Plastic Habit in ASEAN project applies behaviour-centred approaches to plastic reduction interventions to bring about a sustainable change in behaviour. In its second phase, the project tested behaviourally informed interventions in six ASEAN countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, across diverse contexts such as university campuses, commercial food hubs, and cafés. These pilots explored a range of behavioural levers, including choice architecture, social influence, and emotional appeals, in complement to traditional approaches such as information, regulations, and material incentives, to reduce plastic consumption and improve waste management practices.

This online event provided a platform to share practical lessons, discuss outcomes and implementation challenges, and explore how behaviour-centred approaches can inform future plastic reduction policies and programmes across ASEAN.

Moreover, IGES is pleased to announce that the report 'Breaking the Plastic Habit in ASEAN: Behaviour-Centred Interventions for Lasting Plastic Reduction' is also available. This new report demonstrates how applying behavioural science to the challenge of plastic pollution can effectively bridge the “intention–action gap” among individuals, institutions, and businesses, and we encourage your reading.